FAQs
- Sutherland Shire current waste operations, waste profile and diversion rates
- An independent community survey (377 responses) identifying waste priorities and resident perceptions of current waste management services
- Government waste targets and policies
- A range of waste options that could be implemented to address legislative, social, economic and environmental needs
- A detailed assessment and ranking of those different options to assist in the development of the Waste Strategy.
- Reducing food waste
- Phasing out single use products
- Finding alternatives to disposable coffee cups.
- Recycles/re-uses 89% C&D waste
- Recycles 100% green waste (Parks operation)
- Provides a cloth nappy service at childcare centres
- Uses recycled paper for printing
- Provides battery recycling at libraries and admin building
- Provides recycling boxes for printer cartridges & stationary
- Supports the Reconnect Project that collects and reconditions pre-owned mobile devices and gives them a new life by providing them to people in need.
What is the Waste Strategy?
The Waste Strategy is a 20-year roadmap for Council to plan, secure and deliver the best possible waste service solutions for the community, meeting State waste diversion targets, focusing on what is most important to residents and preparing for future challenges.
What is the Waste Options Assessment Report?
Council contracted external waste consultants Talis to deliver a comprehensive report that considered:
The Waste Options Report is available on Join The Conversation LINK.
Are my waste services changing?
To reduce food waste going to landfill, Council is introducing a combined food organics and garden organics collection service using the green lidded bin. This means food waste can be reused as compost.
The Strategy includes ongoing auditing of all waste services and scoping opportunities to provide the most effective solutions to meet changing needs.
There are no other immediate changes planned for kerbside waste services.
When is the FOGO service commencing?
Council intends to launch the food and garden organics (FOGO) collection service in 2023/24.
The FOGO service will start with single dwelling households because they already have a garden organics green bin collection.
Many unit blocks or multiple unit dwellings (MUDs) don’t have garden organic collections because they don’t have gardens, or logistically have room for storing extra bins. As part of the FOGO launch, a pilot will take place for a range of MUDs across the LGA to understand the logistical issues and how FOGO can be introduced in the future.
Will my waste levies increase?
There are no extraordinary waste levies planned to deliver the Strategy. Waste levies are determined every four years by the Independent Pricing and Renumeration Tribunal (IPART) with Council needing to justify waste levy increases.
Why can’t Council start the FOGO service now?
Food organics represents around 35% of the red lidded bin content and it goes to landfill.
When Council introduces the FOGO collection it will mean a significant increase in the amount of organic waste in the green lidded bin which is collected for composting. The larger volume of organic material requires a facility big enough to process it into compost.
Currently, this facility does not exist within or near the Sutherland Shire. Council is seeking to secure a sustainable organics processing solution as soon as possible to enable the launch of a FOGO service.
What is happening to the landfill at Lucas Heights?
Lucas Height landfill is due to close in 2037 for rehabilitation. You can still drop off waste, recycling and garden organics at Lucas Heights, nothing has changed yet.
What is Council doing about encouraging businesses to reduce their waste?
Council is focusing on three areas to support businesses to reduce their waste:
As part of promoting the circular economy, Council will be encouraging businesses using recycled products in commercial businesses.
Council is leading by example by implementing internal waste avoidance and recycling program in its own operations.
What is Council doing in its own operations to reduce waste?
Currently Council:
The Waste Strategy will deliver more initiatives and implement policies to reduce waste and increase recycling across Council operations.
What is the circular economy?
A circular economy helps close the loop by minimising waste that goes to landfill by productively reusing resources in the waste streams. It is a more sustainable alternative to the traditional linear economy of taking resources, making and using goods, and then disposing of them.
What is Council doing to encourage the circular economy?
A good example of Council’s commitment to the circular economy is replacing natural sand in the asphalt in roadworks with recycled glass from local kerbside collections. This recycled glass has limited end markets to be made into recycled glass products and could otherwise end up in landfill.
Council is scoping opportunities to encourage and support local industries reusing waste materials in place of virgin materials and is looking at establishing a Local Industrial Eco Hub.